01 Feb It is impossible, then

Week 1 discussion

DQ1 Religious Experience

Have you ever had an experience that you could properly describe as religious? I have in mind not only dramatic experiences like visions and conversions, but also more commonplace, socially-embedded experiences such as receiving communion, becoming bar mitzvah, serving as a godparent for a young relative, or even simply attending religious services. Think about that experience and ask yourself: Did it put you in touch with the infinite? How would you describe the experience? Was it transcendent? Monotheistic? Elaborate.

DQ2 The Origins of Religion

In this course we will be studying the origins and teachings of religions from across the world. As you begin your studies this week, reflect on the reading and consider the origins of religion and practices of faith? What are some potential factors in the origin of religion? Use one of the key examples you read about this week to help support your response.

Week 2 discussion

DQ1 The Faces of God

Hinduism offers as one explanation for its many gods that humans need concrete representations of the formless absolute. Also, finite minds can perceive the infinite only in a limited way, according to taste and temperament, cultural background, and other factors. Religions such as Christianity or Judaism view God in carefully defined ways that restrict the names and personality that reflect the divine. Yet even here, the way that God is pictured varies. Reflect on the images you have had of the divine, and interview friends about images they have had. How have these pictures in your mind changed since you were a child? Is it possible they will continue to change as you age or as you study religion more deeply? How do you account for this process, and how would you attempt to measure the correctness of one image over another?

DQ2 Jainism and Ahimsa

Jainism has five ethical principles, the first of which is ahimsa, or, nonviolence towards all living creatures. Some Jains sweep the ground in front of them to avoid killing small insects. Jains are also strict vegetarians, and some reject the use of any animal products such as leather and jewelry. Do you think this kind of ethic is reasonable for all people or only a minority? Argue the case for or against such strict principles.

Week 3 discussion

DQ1 The Four Noble Truths

The most important of the Four Noble Truths is the fourth, the Noble Eightfold Path. Did anything in particular strike you about these “paths” (e.g., the idea of “right thoughts,” that we should always try to act with pure motives)? Do you see any similarities between the Noble Eightfold Path and Christianity? Did Jesus say anything similar to Buddha in this regard? Elaborate.

DQ2 Connections between Religion and Art

This week you read about the relationship between Buddhism and Japanese arts. Select one of the arts discussed in the reading for this week and explain the relationship between religion and artistic production. As part of your response, conduct a brief internet search and provide an image or piece of multimedia that illustrates your selected art form and help illustrates your response.

Week 4 discussion

DQ1 Confucius Says

Confucius was once asked if there was one rule that could serve as the guide to one’s whole life. He replied: “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.” How does this rule compare with Jesus’ teaching on the Golden Rule? Look at these Biblical verses to see if you can tell the difference: Matthew 7:12; Matthew 5:21-26, 43-48 (see the Modules button > Course Resources > Web Links for an online Bible). Is there one rule that you live by?

DQ2 East Meets West

The ideas of the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing) have been widely translated into English. Some might recall the delightful children’s version of The Tao of Pooh and The Te of Piglet. Consider this saying: “The best man is like water. Water is good; it benefits all things and does not compete with them. It dwells in places that all disdain…The best man in his dwelling loves the earth…” What does this mean to you? Do you agree with this philosophy? Can you see any connection between Taoism and the environmental movement? Elaborate.

Week 5 discussion

DQ1 Judaism and the Prophetical Tradition

The prophet Amos spoke out against the injustices of the Northern Kings of Israel. He set the tone for centuries of prophetical figures in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. A central theme of the prophetical tradition is social justice. Read Amos 2:6-16; 5:14-15 in this regard (see the Web Links in Course Resources for an online Bible). Do you think churches have done enough with regard to social inequality, poverty, injustice, and so on? What one issue do you think churches should address today?

DQ2 Biblical Themes: The Problem of Evil

Epicurus is generally credited with first expounding the problem of evil, and it is sometimes called “the Epicurean paradox”: “Either God wants to abolish evil, and cannot; or he can, but does not want to. If he wants to, but cannot, he is impotent. If he can, but does not want to, he is wicked. If God can abolish evil, and God really wants to do it, why is there evil in the world?” The problem of evil poses this question: how can a God who is all-powerful, all-wise, and all-good permit so much pain, suffering, and evil in the world? How would you answer this question?

Week 6 discussion

DQ1 Jesus and the Kingdom of God

Describe some of the values Jesus had in mind when he used the phrase “Kingdom of God.” One scholar has called Jesus’s message “ethical apocalypticism.” What do you think this means in light of our discussion of apocalypticism in the text? (You might want to relate this to the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:1-12.)

DQ2 Old and the New

Reflect on the reading and explain one of the key differences between the Old Testament and the New Testament. How do these differences influence the way that Christianity is practiced today? Focus your response on one example that you can deconstruct using the reading for this week and the knowledge you have accumulated in the course.

Week 7 discussion

DQ1 The Five Pillars of Islam

In that it recognizes one God who rules the entire world, Islam may be called a universal religion. However, although Islam grew out of a particular seventh-century Arabian context, Muslims claims that its central document, the Qur’an, must be read in Arabic in order to be fully appreciated. How can Islam or any similar religion resolve the tension between the universal and the particular? How can it (or any other faith) be a religion for people of all races and nationalities without giving up its distinctive cultural heritage?

DQ2 Islam and the Arts

Islam has been very influential in the worlds of architecture and fine art. Provide an example of one expression of Islamic art and explain the context of the work. How does the work provide examples of Islamic philosophy and rule? What are some ways that the Pillars of Islam are represented in these works? Please also provide a visual of the art form you select.

Week 1 Assignment

Expository Essay

This assignment is due in Week 1 of the course.

Scholars conclude that what we ordinarily call religion manifests to some degree the following eight elements:

a belief system

community

central myths

rituals

an ethical system

emotional experiences

material expressions of religion

sacredness

In a short essay, complete the following:

Examine to what extent your religious beliefs fall into this pattern. Do some elements have more weight than others? If you do not have a belief system, interview someone who does and examine their belief system. Provide enough details to support your answer.

Then examine one of the “new religions” or alternative paths that are seen in today’s world and apply the same analysis to their beliefs. Do some elements have more weight than others? Are some totally absent? Provide enough details to support your answer. Please limit your analysis to no more than three elements for each section.

Conclude by explaining some of the key questions and/or issues that religions face today.

This essay should be 2 pages in length (750-1000 words) and must be in APA format.

Don’t forget to submit your assignment.

Week 3

Reflection Essay

In a short essay, complete the following:

Examine the life of Buddha. What kind of world did he come from? What are some of the sacrifices that me made on this path? How did this contribute to the foundations of Buddhism?

Reflect on the personal experience of monks, wanderers, and pilgrims. How do you think these people look for Enlightenment or “Bodhi”? What is the role of “Dharma” and “Nirvana”? What is the role of personal experience within the religious experience. Use specific examples to illustrate your response and support your claims.

Conclude by examining the current role of reflective learning in religion today. Interrogate the role of individual knowledge and communal learning.

This essay should be 3 pages in length (approximately 1500 words, not including a cover page and reference page) and must be in APA format. Your paper should include an introduction and thesis that clearly states your central claim, thoughtful examples and analysis in your body paragraphs, and a conclusion to finalize your thoughts.

Week 4 Midterm

Question 1 Compare and contrast Carl Gustav Jung’s theory as to the origin of religions with William James’ theory. How does each of these psychologists view religion (positively or negatively)? Now analyze how the insights of Jung or James might illuminate your religious tradition or the tradition with which you are most familiar. How would Jung or James understand that tradition? Use specific examples to support your answer (e.g., a specific belief or ritual).

Question 2 Identify and describe four key concepts of the Upanishads. Make sure you use enough detail to support your answer.

Question 3 Identify and analyze the Theravada and Mahayana forms of Buddhism. Include in this answer: a) specific countries where they are found; b) differing views of the Buddha; and c) differing ideals as to how one should live one’s life. Make sure you use enough detail to support your answer.

Question 4 Sikhism began as an attempt to unify Hinduism and Islam. Identify and describe religious concepts that Sikhism took from Hinduism and those that it accepted from Islam? What elements from Hinduism did Nanak reject? Then evaluate Sikhism’s attempt to unify Hinduism and Islam. What makes this attempt problematic? Is it more productive or counterproductive to seek unity between religions by inventing a new religion? Make sure you use enough detail to support your answer.

Week 6 Assignment

Field Trip Report

For this class you are required to visit a religious site not your own. This could be a synagogue, a Christian church, a mosque, or a temple. The purpose of this trip is to report on what you saw -normally a religious service—and how it compares to your own religious upbringing and/or current practice.

The report should give a description of the site and a detailed summary of the religious service. As part of your assignment you should:

Describe what you observed. What were the material expressions of the service (statues, paintings, music, etc). Was there anything special going on that day (e.g., baptisms)? If there was a sermon, analyze it.

Provide a cultural and historical context for what you saw/experienced. What information from your textbook and research provides information about and contextualizes your experience? What are some of the historical roots of your experience? What parts seem more contemporary?

Conclude with your personal reaction to this experience and any questions you had about your experience.

This paper should be at least three (3) pages in length (1500 words) with proper APA formatting. This includes proper documentation. This is a formal academic paper so pay careful attention to the basics of writing a good English composition.

Week 7 Assignment

Analytical Essay

In a short essay, complete the following:

Explain the historical relationship between Christianity and Islam. What are their geographical connections? What are their historical timelines? How does is this history represented in their sacred texts?

Analyze the historical relationship between Christianity and Islam in order to make an argument about the similarities and differences between the two religions. Select one main example to focus your comparison on (some ideas include views of life and death, concepts of God, apocalyptic narratives, pilgrimage narrative, etc.). Your analysis should span multiple paragraphs and utilize specific examples.

Conclude by examining the current relationship between Christianity and Islam today. Integrate the role of globalization.

This essay should be 3 pages in length (approximately 1500 words, not including a cover page and reference page) and must be in APA format. Your paper should include an introduction and thesis that clearly states your central claim, thoughtful examples and analysis in your body paragraphs, and a conclusion to finalize your thoughts.

Don’t forget to submit your assignment.

Week 8 Final exam

Question 1 The word religion literally means:

to bind.

meditate on.

worship.

rise above.

Question 2 The position that argues that we cannot know whether there is a god or not is known as:

monotheism.

polytheism.

atheism.

agnosticism.

Question 3 Who was the German theologian who argued in The Idea of the Holy that religions emerge when people experience that aspect of reality which is essentially mysterious?

William James

Carl Gustav Jung

Rudolf Otto

E.B. Tylor

Question 4 Who was the French sociologist who argued that religious behavior is relative to the society in which it is found and that a society will use a religion to reinforce its own values?

William James

Wilhelm Schmidt

Carl Gustav Jung

Emile Durkheim

Question 5 What is the name of the Austrian ethnographer and philologist who argued that all humankind once believed in a single High God and that to this simple monotheism later beliefs in lesser gods and spirits were added?

James Frazer

William James

Wilhelm Schmidt

Carl Gustav Jung

Question 6 Vedic religion was:

patriarchal and polytheistic.

matriarchal and polytheistic.

monotheistic.

monistic.

Question 7 The power of a god is often symbolized by:

lightening bolts.

rings of fire.

animals.

many arms.

Question 8 The moral law of cause and effect that determines the direction of rebirth is:

ahimsa.

karma.

shakti.

puja.

Question 9 Both Jainism and Sikhism:

practice vegetarianism.

advocate ahimsa.

are monotheistic.

view the human being as composite of spirit and matter.

Question 10 The Buddha’s first disciples were:

his wife and child.

his five former ascetic companions.

the great king Ashoka.

members of the warrior-noble class.

Question 11 Once a person reaches nirvana:

suffering continues only for this life.

samsara is attained.

rebirth is finished.

the Pure Land is entered.

Question 12 The Chinese word for “righteousness,” “benevolence,” “humanity-at-its-best” is:

Ren (jen).

Li.

Wen.

Hsiao (xiao).

Question 13 For Confucius, a person who follows the way of heaven:

lives close to nature.

is a great warrior.

lives the Golden Mean and avoids extremes.

is meek and humble.

Question 14 Which is not a Daoist value?

Simplicity

Spontaneity

Sensing movements of nature

Formal education

Question 15 The mysterious of the universe that is present and in everything is known as:

li.

Dao.

ren (jen).

wen.

Question 16 All of the following minor religions are offshoots of a major world religion except:

Baha’i.

Jainism.

Sikhism.

Taoism.

Question 17 Sikhism is charaterized by:

special clothing and religious militarism.

special clothing but not religious militarism.

religious militarism but not special clothing.

special clothing only.

Question 18 The Hebrews trace themselves to an ancestor named:

Adam.

Abraham.

Moses.

Amos.

Question 19 The first King of Israel was:

Daniel.

Moses.

David.

Saul.

Question 20 A joyful spring festival that recalls the Hebrews’ exodus from Egypt and freedom from oppression is:

Yom Kippur.

Passover (Seder).

Purim.

Hanukkah.

Question 21 Jesus sometimes summed up his teachings in:

ten commandments.

one commandment.

two commandments.

five commandments.

Question 22 Good news” (Middle English); an account of the life of Jesus means:

theater.

Gospel.

apostle.

indulgence.

Question 23 Muslims believe in:

resurrection of the body.

a final judgment.

neither a resurrection of the body nor a final judgment.

both a resurrection of the body and a final judgment.

Question 24 The Sunni and Shiite branches of Islam split over a dispute about:

whether or not to have a lunar calendar.

how many wives were acceptable.

succession after Muhammad.

when the pilgrimage should be performed.

Question 25 Islam literally means “___________.”

submission

sacred

holy

enlightened

Question 26 Identify and analyze the Four Noble Truths, in particular, the Noble Eightfold Path. What ideas from Hinduism did Buddhism essentially keep? Describe them. Include enough details to support your answer.

Question 27 Explain and evaluate Thomas Aquinas’ Cosmological Argument for the existence of God: The first and plainest is the method that proceeds from the point of view of motion. It is certain and in accord with experience, that things on earth undergo change. Now, everything that is moved is moved by something; nothing, indeed, is changed, except it is changed to something which it is in potentiality. Moreover, anything moves in accordance with something actually existing; change itself, is nothing else than to bring forth something from potentiality into actuality. Now, nothing can be brought from potentiality to actual existence except through something actually existing: thus heat in action, as fire, makes fire-wood, which is hot in potentiality, to be hot actually, and through this process, changes itself. The same thing cannot at the same time be actually and potentially the same thing, but only in regard to different things. What is actually hot cannot be at the same time potentially hot, but it is possible for it at the same time to be potentially cold.

It is impossible, then, that anything should be both mover and the thing moved, in regard to the same thing and in the same way, or that it should move itself. Everything, therefore, is moved by something else. If, then, that by which it is moved, is also moved, this must be moved by something still different, and this, again, by something else. But this process cannot go on to infinity because there would not be any first mover, nor, because of this fact, anything else in motion, as the succeeding things would not move except because of what is moved by the first mover, just as a stick is not moved except through what is moved from the hand. Therefore it is necessary to go back to some first mover, which is itself moved by nothing–and this all men know as God.

Briefly explain and then evaluate this proof for the existence of God.